Lateral dispersion device for machine guns



KURT v. RAUCHFUSS AND E. JAESCHKE.

LATERAL DISPERSION DEVICE FOR MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1920.

1,411 3,936., Patented p 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

KURT v. RAUCHFUSS AND E. JAESCHKE. LATERAL DISPERSION DEVICE FOR MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FI LED IULYZZ, I920- Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l u I I m I KURT V. RAUGHFUSS, 0F CUXHJ -LVEN, AND ERNST JAESCHKE, 0F HAMBURG, GERMANY their LATERAL DISPERSION DEVICE FOR MACHINE GUNS.

' Application filed July 22,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, KURT v. RAUGHFUS8, a citizen of the German Republic, and a resident of No. 56 Marienstijz, Guxhaven, Germany, and ERNST JAnsoHKn, a citizen of the German Republic, and a resident of No. 41 Margarethenstr, Hamburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Lateral D1sp er sion Device for Machine Guns, (for which applications forpatents have been tiled in Germany September- 24, 1918, and in Austria October 18, 1918,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a lateral dispersion device for machine guns, in which the gun is automatically and intermittently trained by the recoil to both sides, and reversed, in reaching the limit ofthelateral movement. This is attained by the action of two pressure rods which act on two ratchet wheels which are connected to a worm engaging with a toothed slide bar. and drives alternately in opposite directions. The worm can be turned and by operating a handle is thrown into gear with the teeth of the slide bar, the firing lever being released at the same time. By turning backthe handle the device can be rendered inoperative, and the gun worked in the usual manner with the release of the firing lever. The extent of rotation of the ratchet Wheels is variable so that the distancebetween the points struck by the bullets, can be regulated.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a constructional form of the device Y Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the underframe of a machlne gun embodying the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the dispersion device.

Figure 4 is a frontelevation of the same.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the same. I a

Figure 6 is a section on line AB of Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows the device partly in horizontal section and partly in plan, with part of the cover'removed, and 1 Figures 8 and 9 are detail views. In the casing 1 of the machine gun are mounted the inclined surfaces 2-and 3 moved by the recoil and acting on pressure rods 4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 398,308.

and 5 controlled by springs 6. The firing lever 7 is released by the movement of the rod 8 which is connected to a pin 9 which latter passes through the slot 10 of the cats mg bottom 11.

In the underframe 12 is rotatably mounted a spindle 13 which can be rotated by means of a handle 14 and locked in the end position. 011 the spindle 13 is'mounted a pinion 15 which engages with a toothed rack 16. The latter is connected to a sliding part 17 provided with a slot 18. A rod 19 engages by means of a hollow pin 20 with the slot 18. T e pin 9 of the rod 8 engages in the hollow pin 20. In the hollow part 22 of the rod 19 is mounted a spring 21, so that the rod can be telcscoped, the movement being limited by a pin 23 which engages with a slot 24. The rod 19 is guided in a recess 25 in the cover of the casing 26 of the lateral dispersion device. The casing 26 is secured to the gun by means of a bolt 28 passing two lugs provided on the casing of chine gun and through a hole 29 in ing 26 and by means of a bracket 27. The casing 26 of the lateral dispersion device is provided with a recess 74 in which moves the slide bar 75 provided with a toothed quadrant 76. -Pivotcd upon pins 30 in the casing 26 is a swing frame consisting of side plates 31 and a cross-spindle 32 connecting the latter .together. tween the side plates 31 is a spindle 36 to which are secured the worm 33 and the ratchet wheels 34 and 35. The ratchet teeth of these wheels are e'ut'in opposite directions compared with one another. Also mounted between the side plates 31 in a laterally adjustable manner is spindle 37 to which are secured pawl holders 88 and 39 on which are pivoted the locking pawls 40 and 41.

the mathe eas- The pressure rod 5 passes through anopening73 and-acts on the rear end of the pawl holder 38,- so that'the locking pawl 40 exercises a corresponding pull on the ratchet wheel 35, whilst the pawl holder 38 is moved through a Mounted bebackby the spring 42 on the pressure of the rod 5 ceasing. The pressure rod 4 passes through an opening 72 and acts on the front end of the pawl holder 89, so that thelocklug pawl 41 presses the ratchet wheel 3&, and is moved back by the pull of the spring 43. The locking pawls are held in continuous engagement with the ratchet wheels by means of springs 44.

Mounted in the casing 26 is a spindle 45 which can be turned by means of a handle 46 provided with an index 48 and locked by means of the set screw 47. The spindle v45 carries an arm 49 to which is pivoted an arm 50. The latter is provided with a stop 51 with which engages an arm 52 mounted on the pawl holder 38. A second arm 53 also carried by the spindle 45 has pivoted to it an arm 54 which by means of a stop 55 engages an arm 56 mounted on the pawl holder 39. By turning the spindle 45 in either direction, the extent of rotation of the ratchet wheels 34 and 35 can be regulated, the stops 51 and 55 limiting the movements of the pawls 40 and 41 under the action of the springs 42 and 43. Rotation of the worm 33 will regulate'the extent of the lateral movement or training of the gun after each shot which can be set for any desired distance 1) ln the casing 26 is mounted a reversing ledge 57 provided on one side with a recess 61, and on the other side with two recesses 58.. A ball 59 controlled'by a spring 60 engages with one of the recesses 58. A. spindle 63 mounted rotatably in the casing, has a stop 62 which engages with the recess 61 of the reversing ledge. Upon the spindle 63 is mounted an arm 64 which carries a pin 65. The latter engages with a stop part 66 secured to the spindle 37. When during the lateral movement or training of the gun the reversing ledge 57 strikes the adjustable stop 67, it is forced into the casing, and the ball 59 jumps therefore into the second recess 58 and forces the reversing ledge into.

the other end position. Simultaneously the spindle 37 is so moved by means of the stop 62, spindle 63 and pin that the locking pawl 40 runs idle and the locking pawl 41 comes into engagement with the ratchet wheel 34.

For the purpose of setting the reversing device, the handle 14 is depressed and locked. In that way the rod 8 is moved in such a way that the firing lever 7 is released, At the same time the swing frame 31, 32 is turned by means of the rod '19 which engages, by means of its bifurcated end, the spindle 32, so that the worm 33 is brought into engagement with the toothed quadrant 7 6. The gun will then be moved or trained to the right until the reversing ledge 57 strikes the stop 68, whereupon the reversing takes place. and the gun will be laterally moved or trained tothe left until it is again reversed by the stop 67. device for the handle 14 is released, the toothed rack 16, under the action of the spring 69,

position. The rods 8 and 19 will be moved at the same time, so that the worm 33 will be disengaged from the toothed sector 76, and the firing lever 7 released. The gun can then be operated by hand, and the firing means of the handle 46 and the index 48.

Then the locking will be returned to its initial lever released in the usual manner by means of the rod 7 0 provided with a stop 71.

What I claim is:

1. Mechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns, comprising a toothed slide bar, a worm for engaging the latter, and ratchet mechanism connected with the worm adapted to automatically r0- tate the worm alternately in opposite directions during the recoil of the gun.

2. hlechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns, comprising a toothed slide bar, aworm meshing with the latter, two ratchet wheels for driving the worm, and means for alternately rotating the ratchet wheels in opposite directions during the recoil of the gun.

3.'Mechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns, comprising a toothed slide bar, a worm, means for moving the latter into and out of engagement with the bar, two ratchet wheels movable in opposite directions connected with the worm and meansoperated by the recoil of the gun to alternately actuate the ratchet wheels.

4. Mechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns, comprising a toothed slide bar, a worm, a firing lever, means for simultaneously releasing said lever and moving the worm into mesh with the slide bar, two ratchet wheels connected with the worm, pawls for rotating the ratchet wheels in opposite directions, and mechanism operable by the recoil of the gun for alternately actuating the pawls.

5. Mechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns comprising a toothed sector, a swinging frame, a worm and two ratchet wheels mounted in the latter, a spring controlled rod connected with the 105 swinging frame, means for shifting the rod to swing the frame, whereby the worm is moved into engagement with the sector, a firing lever operable by the movement of the rod, and mechanism operable by the re- 110 coil of the gun for actuating the ratchet wheels alternately in opposite directions.

6. Mechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns, comprising a toothed sector, a worm to engage the latter, 115 two ratchet wheels connected with the worm, pawls arranged to rotate the rat-chets in opposite directions, pressure rods for operating the pawls, and means for actuating the pressure rods.'whereby the worm is alter- 120 nately rotated in opposite directions.

7. Mechanism for obtaining lateral dispersion in machine guns, comprising a toothed sector, a. swinging frame, a worm to engage the sector journaled in the frame, 125 two ratchet wheels connected to the worm,

a laterally movable spindle mounted in the frame, pawls for operating the ratchet wheels carried by the spindle, and means to automatically shift the latter to move one 130 pawl into operative position and simultaframe, pawls for operating the ratchet 10 neoirsly move the other pawl out of oper- Wheels carried by the spindle, and means 0pative position. erated by the recoil of the gun for alter- 8. Mechanism for obtaining lateral disnately moving the pawlsinto and out of oppersion in machine guns, comprising a erative position. toothed sector, a swinging frame, a Worm Signed by me at Hamburg this 23 day of 5 to engage the sector journaled in the frame, June, 1920. two ratchet Wheels connected to the Worm, a KURT v. RAUCHFUSS. laterally movable spindle mounted in the ERNST JAESCHKE. 

